AN M1 Abrams tank fires a new M1028 canister round during an exhibition at Fort Knox, Ky. Nov 10.
Wakeland Kuamoo
I love it -- ust the thing for "stability operations"!
Posted on 12/05/2005 11:02:45 AM PST by 68skylark
FORT KNOX, Ky. (Army News Service, Dec. 5, 2005) -- While the booming sounds of a 120mm tank main gun firing on Cedar Creek Range were familiar, the type of tank round being fired was very unique.
The 16th Cavalry Regiment provided a live fire demonstration of the first M1028 canister rounds at Fort Knox, Nov. 10. The canister round is the newest 120mm tank main gun ammunition now available to the Armor Force, and has been deployed in the Middle East.
According to Maj. Kevin Parker, the S-3 of the 16th Cav., the purpose of the demonstration was to provide trainers with the opportunity to see close up the unique capability of the canister round.
New round flexibility
While the canister round is not the heaviest tank main gun round in the inventory, its size and weight distribution does make handling and loading the round a bit unique.
Soldiers and Marines who have handled and fired the round in preparation for deployment to Iraq have said that with a bit of practice the round can be handled in much the same way as the other 120mm rounds in the inventory.
Fort Knox senior leaders, including Fort Knox Commander Maj. Gen. Robert Williams and post Deputy Commander Brig. Gen. Albert Bryant attended the demonstration.
“Since the inception of the 120mm-armed Abrams tank, we have lacked a true anti-personnel weapon system. The M1028 canister round has satisfied that need,” said Bryant. “A documented operational need for such a round has long existed in Korea. Operations in Somalia and now in Afghanistan and Iraq have demonstrated that the requirement also exists for stability operations.
“The M1028 canister round provides the tanker in the field with another option to defeat the enemy and protect our troops.”
Battlefield promise
“The canister round was awesome,” according to Staff Sgt. Michael Hill and Sgt. Daniel Miller, of Troop B, 1-16th Cav., who were part of the firing crew. They said the round would be great for tankers confronted by massed enemy troops, inflicting massive casualties and providing a shock effect which will certainly make other enemy troops think twice before continuing their attack.
“We know the canister round will be able to defeat enemy dismounted troops, no question,” said Williams. Based on this demonstration, it is clear that it can also defeat other obstacles, such as wall barriers, during the close in fight. The good news for the tanker is that while the enemy can still run, the canister round will make sure they can’t hide.”
(Editor’s note: This story was submitted by the Fort Knox Turret.)
AN M1 Abrams tank fires a new M1028 canister round during an exhibition at Fort Knox, Ky. Nov 10.
Wakeland Kuamoo
I love it -- ust the thing for "stability operations"!
New? This was around in WW2.
OUCH
They said the round would be great for tankers confronted by massed enemy troops...
While that isn't that likely, it is nice to have in the arsenal.
US Army Armor!
Anything else is just, well... tanks.
"Give them a whiff of the grape."
Finally, a Cajun duck round.
Maybe in 1862,
Everything old is new again.
Try 1600's - grape shot has cleared many a galleon's decks.
Is this similar to the fleshette round used in VN? Loaded with thousands of small metal darts.
About time! The lack of these really detracted from the ability to service many types of targets.
Cannister has been a standard artillery load at least since the Napoleonic Wars.
All of our artillery has it, and all our tanks did through the 105mm gun on the M-60.
At least during the Vietnam era there was also a Flechette Round which was a cannister filled essentially with 20 pounds of nails.
I can't imagine why it was never provided for the 120mm.
So9
If we have to fight in Korea, they will face massed troops. The North Koreans didn't learn the first time.
Whoa boy, imagine a group of camel jockeys riding across the dunes. Even in their toyota pickup mounted with a machine gun. Wipeout.
It's grapeshot and has been around as long as there have been cannons.
Everything old is new again.
TAW
Since the inception of the 120mm-armed Abrams tank, we have lacked a true anti-personnel weapon system.
see?
Grape shot is a dozen or so iron balls an inch to 2 inches in diameter and fastened together in netting for loading.
It is a different round from cannister, which is a matal cylinder filled with musket balls.
Grape is for ships rigging or cavalry, cannister is for infantry.
So9
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